Throwing a Halloween party this weekend? Not so fast! Check
out top-eight ways to totally freak out your friends. You can pull off any or
all of ‘em in a flash. Insert evil laugh here.

Light show

Set the stage by putting strobe lights in the front windows
of your house. Sure, they’re not a surprise, but they do add some major atmosphere to your Halloween party.

Sound effects

Hide a boombox in the bushes by your front door to play some
spooky sounds: hooting owls, gusty wind, maybe even some moaning and groaning.

Hall of shadows

Turn off the hall light and make the entrance to your home
as dark as you can. Hang black-out curtains to block out ambient light from
your main party room. Got stairs to navigate? Lay down some glow tape or prop
up flashlights along the floor to make sure ya don’t have any nasty accidents.

Shiver me timbers!

Wrap surfaces guests will likely touch—like banisters and
end tables—in cobwebs or another equally shiver-inducing material.

Smile for the camera

Print out pictures of your favorite movie villains on glossy
paper and swap ‘em into your fam’s picture frames for the night. Great Aunt
Cruella de Vil? Naturally.

Bloody amazing

Grab an inexpensive towel at the store (or use an old rag) and
drip red paint over it. Let it dry and hang in the bathroom. For bonus points,
drip fake blood over the sink.

Jeepers creepers

Hide (fake) critters in the bottom of your bowls of chips
and crackers. The first person who reaches her hand down there and feels a
rat’s tail is bound to squeal.

Say what?

Invoke the terror of your favorite scary movies by
scribbling down recognizable quotes (or recording ‘em as MP3s) and hanging them
on the walls (or mixing them into your playlist). Why, hello, Clarice.